In the “better late than never category,” Antique Trader broke the news back on Dec. 3 that a Rene Lalique Hirondelles vase brought $132,250 (with buyer’s premium) at a Ron Rhoads Auctioneer Nov. 28 sale, setting a record for a colored Lalique vase. Subscribers enjoyed the breaking news and the full article is below. You can now purchase this back copy of AT (and many more) at Shop.Collect.com

DOUGLASSVILLE, Pa. — Originally billed simply as a “Lalique Rose Console Bowl” in a Ron Rhoads Auctioneers auction bill, few may have expected a Midwest estate piece to break a record for colored R. Lalique vase. The high estimate on the vase was just $10,000.

Staffers at RLalique.com saw the listing and followed up with direct inquiries with the Rhoads auction house; they surmised the piece was in fact a red Hirondelles (French for “sparrows”) vase, circa 1919.

Listed on both AuctionZip.com and LiveAuctioneers.com, the listing describes the piece as “an amazingly rare, approximately 24 centimeters tall, red glass Lalique vase.”

According to the bidding archive, the piece started at $20,000 and climbed its way up in $2,500 and $5,000 increments to a final bid of $115,000, for a final purchase price of $132,250 including 15 percent buyer’s premium.

RLalique.com reports “After the great vase crossed the block, there was applause throughout and tears among many of the interested parties that were involved with the estate and the auction.”

The piece came out of the estate of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Baker of Minneapolis.

Stanley Baker is a World War II veteran, an aircraft artist and collector of steam engines and railroads. Mrs. Baker is a former glass columnist for Antique Trader, serving for 19 years and earning the title of “The Queen of Glass.”